As much as mothers want their partners to be involved with their children, experts say they often unintentionally discourage men from doing so. Because mothering is their realm, some women micromanage fathers and expect them to do things their way, said Marsha Kline Pruett, a professor at the Smith College School for Social Work at Smith College and a co-author of the new book \u201cPartnership Parenting,\u201d\u009d with her husband, the child psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Pruett (Da Capo Press).<\/p>\n
Yet a mother\u2019s support of the father turns out to be a critical factor in his involvement with their children, experts say \u201d\u201d even when a couple is divorced.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the last 20 years, everyone\u2019s been talking about how important it is for fathers to be involved,\u201d\u009d said Sara S. McLanahan, a professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton. \u201cBut now the idea is that the better the couple gets along, the better it is for the child.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n